N-power safe, dependable: PM

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday said nuclear energy is the safest and dependable medium to meet the increasing power demand of the country where population is constantly growing.

Two mega projects of the United Progressive Alliance-2 set up at Jasaur Kheri village of Jhajjar district in Haryana, namely Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership and a 710-bed National Cancer Institute at Badhsa would prove a boon for people, he said while laying the foundation stones for Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership, National Cancer Institute, Government College and upgrade of the Bahadurgarh-Badli-Chandu-Gurgaon road.

"Farmers will get annual royalty for 33 years apart from compensation for the land they gave for these two projects. Over `10 crore will be spent on area near the projects for developing a bird sanctuary, health facilities, water cleaning and computer training projects," he said.

Union minister of health and family welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad, Haryana governor Jagannath Pahadia, chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and member of Parliament from Rohtak, Deepender Hooda were also present on the occasion.

The Prime Minister said India is among the few countries of the world, which have developed technology to establish nuclear plants and the Centre has fixed the target to generate 27,000MW nuclear power in a decade.

He said while developing nuclear energy, the country needed to be cautious of anti-social elements and should keep it away from their reach for the safeguard of country.

Citing the example of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident of Japan, the Prime Minister said learning from the incident, the country has strengthened its safety standards and altered designs of nuclear facilities.

Union minister of health and family welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad said, "According to United Nations Organisation and World Health Organisation, cancer, diabetes hypertension and cardiovascular diseases are the biggest challenges for our country."

Praising the welfare programmes of the UPA government, chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he said in order to strengthen health facilities, several programmes like Jnani Shishu Suraksha Yojana, opening of 19 more medical colleges, upgrade of the existing medical colleges to super-specialty facilities were taken up.

He added that the government has sanctioned to open six new institutes like All India Institute of Medical Sciences, one of which has been opened at Badhsa village of Jhajjar district in the state. He said opening of National Cancer Institute and Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership would put Jhajjar district on world map.

Chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said, "Setting up country's biggest cancer institute and first nuclear research and development centre will result in development of this area and will prove a boon for the entire country." He said as of now, there are over 28 lakh cancer patients in the country and world-class cancer treatment facilities would be a boon for such patients in the state.

On the state's development under his rule, he said Haryana has been emerging as educational hub with several national institutes - National Fashion Institute, Indian Institute of Management, Indian Institute of Technology, National Institute of Food and Technology - coming up.

He said several medical colleges in Karnal, Khanpur, Faridabad and Mewat have come up under the Congress rule since 2005, while previous governments could not open even one such college after the formation of Haryana.

Hooda said the lone medical college in Rohtak was started before Haryana came into existence.

Recalling his announcements at the Gohana rally, he said all the announcements have been implemented from January 1 in the state and under the Mukhyamantri Muft Illaz Yojana over 2 crore people would get free treatment.

Lauding the Prime Minister, he said, "When the global economic meltdown had badly affected developed countries like America, the economic condition of India remained sound due to the craftsmanship of a world-class economist."

Deepender lambasts INLD, BJPTaking a dig at the INLD and BJP, MP Deepender Hooda said the plan budget of the state was Rs 2,200 crore in 2005, which has been now raised to Rs 28,000 crore. "The same was half at present in neighbouring Punjab. Haryana has the highest annual plan budget in north India, which clearly reflects in the growth story of the state. The previous INLD-BJP regime had set up only four colleges in its six-year rule but the present Congress government had established 40 new colleges in the state," he added.

While referring to the statement by INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala and HJC chief Kuldeep Bishnoi that their parties would eliminate hooliganism and corruption, respectively, Deepender said those who started politics of "hooliganism and corruption" are now talking about eliminating it.

He questioned the gathering that what is the reason that Haryana farmers are getting sugarcane prices of Rs 301 per quintal, while the same was Rs 250 per quintal in Punjab and Rs 240 in Gujarat. Similarly, the state is giving Rs 7,500 per month to anganwari workers, Gujarat is paying Rs 4,200 pm and Delhi is giving Rs 5,000 per month. "The BJP who claims to be the well-wisher of ex-servicemen is giving Rs 3,100 in Gujarat to recipient of Paramvir Chakra while Haryana is giving Rs 31 lakh. Ashok Chakra recipient is being given Rs 21 lakh both in Haryana and Gujarat," he added.